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Role of geospatial mapping in the planning of HIV programs: A case study from Southern India
Geographic information systems (GIS) tools can be used to understand the spatial distribution of local HIV epidemics but are often underutilized, especially in low-middle income countries. We present characteristics of an HIV epidemic within Hyderabad, a large city in southern India, as a case study...
Autores principales: | , , , , , , , |
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Formato: | Online Artículo Texto |
Lenguaje: | English |
Publicado: |
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
2021
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Materias: | |
Acceso en línea: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8389960/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34449513 http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000027092 |
Sumario: | Geographic information systems (GIS) tools can be used to understand the spatial distribution of local HIV epidemics but are often underutilized, especially in low-middle income countries. We present characteristics of an HIV epidemic within Hyderabad, a large city in southern India, as a case study to highlight the utility of such data in program planning. Cross-sectional sample recruited using respondent-driven sampling in a cluster-randomized trial. We analyzed data from 2 cross-sectional respondent-driven sampling surveys of MSM in Hyderabad, which were conducted as part of a cluster-randomized trial. All participants were tested for HIV and those positive underwent viral load quantification. ArcGIS was used to create heat maps of MSM distribution using self-reported postal code of residence and combined into larger zones containing at least 200 MSM. Postal code data was available for 661 MSM (66.2%) in the baseline and 978 MSM (97.8%) in the follow-up survey. The proportion of HIV-positive MSM (12.7–15.7%) and prevalence of virally suppressed persons (2.6–8.2%) increased between the 2 surveys. The distribution of all MSM, HIV-positive MSM, and HIV-viremic MSM differed significantly by geographic zone with several zones having higher numbers of HIV-positive and viremic individuals than would be expected based on the distribution of all MSM. The prevalence of HIV and HIV viremia among MSM differed by geographic zones within a city and evolved over time. Such data could be critical to improving program implementation efficiency by accurately targeting resources to population characteristics. |
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